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Transfer Provisions for California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) General Gill/Trammel Net Permits

Permittees

The following requirements for existing permittees to transfer permits are described in Fish and Game Code Section 8681.5:

Non-Disabled or Deceased Permittee

  • Possess an existing, valid General Gill/Trammel Net Permit.
  • Provide satisfactory evidence that the permittee has landed fish for commercial purposes in 15 of the preceding past 20 years.

Disabled Permittee

  • Possess an existing, valid General Gill/Trammel Net Permit.
  • Provide satisfactory evidence that the permittee has landed fish for commercial purposes in 15 of the preceding past 20 years.
  • Be disabled in such a manner that he or she can no longer earn a livelihood from commercial fishing.

Estate of Deceased Permittee

  • Possess an existing, valid General Gill/Trammel Net Permit.
  • Provide satisfactory evidence that the deceased permittee landed fish for commercial purposes in 15 of the preceding past 20 years.
  • Submit a transfer request within one year of the death of the permittee as stated on the death certificate. If no transfer is initiated within one year of the date of death of the permittee, the permit shall revert to the CDFW for disposition. Before requesting the permit transfer, the estate must renew the permit if the permittee did not renew the permit before their death.

Transfer Applicant for a Permit

  • In order to receive a General Gill/Trammel Net Permit from an existing permittee, an Applicant must hold a current California Commercial Fishing License and provide proof of having met the requirements in sections (1), (2), and (3) summarized below (see California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, Section 174(b)):

(1) Either:

  • worked as a crewmember for at least 12 months on vessels using gill nets or trammel nets and worked at least 180 days at sea on such vessels; or
  • passed a proficiency examination administered by the CDFW that includes written and performance tests which demonstrate knowledge of the proper use of gill nets or trammel nets.

(2) Either:

  • as the owner or operator of a registered commercial fishing vessel, provide proof that he or she has landed at least 10,000 pounds of fish during a 12-month period or has landed fish during a 12-month period for which he or she was paid at least $10,000 (only landings of fish caught by the use of gill nets or trammel nets will be used to satisfy the catch requirements of this subsection); or
  • as the owner or operator of a registered commercial fishing vessel, provide proof of landing at least 1,000 pounds of fish taken in gill nets or trammel nets in 4 of the 5 license years prior to the date of application; or
  • possessed a permit issued pursuant to this section during the previous season and completed and submitted a fishing activity record of all gill net and trammel net fishing activities on a Gill Net and Trammel Net Logbook, (a permittee targeting highly migratory species, as described in Title 14, Section 1.49, and using drift gill net gear with a minimum 14-inch or greater mesh size, as described in Fish and Game Code Section 8573, is exempt from the logbook requirement).

(3) Only landings and crewmember experience occurring during the five-year period prior to the date of application shall be used to meet the combination of requirements outlined in paragraphs (1) and (2) above. The applicant shall supply documentation that he or she was a licensed commercial fisher when the required landings or crewmember experience requirements were met. Crewmember experience shall be documented by fishing records submitted to the CDFW, Marine Fisheries Statistical Unit or by a notarized document signed by the owner or operator of vessels on which the applicant has completed the required experience. Landings of fish shall be verified by the submission of copies of landing receipts.

Application Process

To facilitate the review of the transfer request, the CDFW suggests that a party to a transfer submit the following items:

Non-Disabled or Deceased Permittee:

  • A written request to transfer the General Gill/Trammel Net Permit, and the name, Commercial Fishing License identification number, and address of the Applicant.
  • The permittee’s original current General/Gill Trammel Net Permit.
  • Provide satisfactory evidence, such as a letter of verification obtained from the CDFW’s Marine Fisheries Statistical Unit, that the permittee has landed fish for commercial purposes in 15 of the preceding past 20 years. 

Disabled Permittee

  • A written request to transfer the General Gill/Trammel Net Permit, and the name, Commercial Fishing License identification number, and address of the Applicant.
  • The permittee’s original current General Gill/Trammel Net Permit.
  • Provide satisfactory evidence, such as a letter of verification obtained from the CDFW Marine Fisheries Statistical Unit, that the permittee has landed fish for commercial purposes in 15 of the preceding past 20 years. 
  • A court document naming the executor/executrix of the estate of the deceased permittee or other evidence that the Applicant is an authorized representative of the deceased.
  • A copy of the permittee’s death certificate.

Applicant

  • A written request to receive the transfer of the General Gill/Trammel Net Permit.
  • Proof of meeting the specific transfer requirements described above for Applicants. The Applicant shall supply documentation that he or she was a licensed commercial fisher when the required landings or crewmember experience requirements were met. Crewmember experience shall be documented by fishing records submitted to the CDFW, Marine Fisheries Statistical Unit or by a notarized document signed by the owner or operator of vessels on which the applicant has completed the required experience. Landings of fish shall be verified by the submission of copies of landing receipts.
  • A copy of the Applicant’s current California Commercial Fishing License.

In addition, the CDFW must receive a $100 transfer fee from a party.

Mail the documents and transfer fee to:

California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Attention: License and Revenue Branch
PO Box 944209
Sacramento, California 94244-2090

Evaluation of complete transfer requests will take approximately 20 business days after receipt by the CDFW’s License and Revenue Branch. If additional documentation is required, evaluation of the transfer request may take longer. If approved, a letter authorizing the transfer will be sent to the proposed permittee and existing permittee.

If you have any questions about the transfer requirements or application process, please contact (916) 928-5822 or LRBCOMM@wildlife.ca.gov.